Mass riots in Netherlands on New Year's Eve - Over 200 people arrested
Mass riots in Netherlands on New Year's Eve, over 200 people arrested (photo: Getty Images)
Police in the Netherlands arrested more than 200 people on New Year's Eve during riots across the country, states Reuters.
During the riots in several cities in the Netherlands, police were attacked with fireworks and stones. Dozens of law enforcement officers were injured.
Police in Rotterdam said that more than 100 cars and other vehicles were set on fire, while in Amsterdam, Hague, and other cities, riot police were needed to disperse violent crowds.
SWAT teams were also used across the country to assist fire brigades under attack from fireworks as they tried to extinguish numerous fires.
In the city of Harlem, a 19-year-old man died of injuries sustained during a fireworks incident shortly before midnight on Sunday, police said.
Terrorist attacks in Europe on Christmas Day
European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has stated that there is a significant risk of terrorist attacks in European countries during the Christmas holidays.
She linked these threats to the impact of the situation in the Middle East, in particular the ongoing hostilities between Israel and the Hamas organization.
German media reported that an Islamist terrorist cell was planning several attacks in Cologne, Vienna, and Madrid. The target could be Christmas church services.
